- Dut: bruine rat (riool rat)
- Eng: common rat (brown rat, Norway rat)
- Fre: le (rat) surmulot (le rat brun)
- Ger: Wanderratte
- Lat: Rattus norvegicus
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- brown rat, foto fitis, sytske
Brown rat
Brown rats like to live in the vicinity of people, since there is always a place to hide and something to eat. They eat just about everything: seeds, grains, beets, insects, meat, eggs, worms, young birds, small rodents, snails, amphibians and garbage. Brown rats are active at night. They are hunted by owls and predators (including domestic cats), and fiercely pursued by people. They are so intelligent that they aren't readily caught in traps.
- Distribution and habitat
- Brown rat, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Brown rats are very common in Western Europe. They are also common on the Dutch Wadden Islands. Islands where rats were not previously found were later colonized by stowaway rats on board ships.
- Damage
- brown rat, foto fitis, sytske dijksen
Rats can cause immense damage, particularly in and around buildings. They nibble on all kinds of material, leave behind excrement and eat food supplies. They can also transmit diseases to humans.
See also
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